In Italy, 2024 saw a new all-time low in the number of births, with a mere 370,000 new births, a 2.6% decrease from the previous year. The average age of women at childbirth increased to 32.6 years, while the overall fertility rate stands at just 1.18 children per woman, dropping even below the previous negative record of 1995. The regions most affected by the drop in births are the South and the Islands, with decreases of 4.2% and 4.9% respectively. This is the picture outlined by the report 'Le Equilibriste – Motherhood in Italy' by Save the Children, now in its tenth edition and published ahead of Mother’s Day. The research emphasizes the mounting difficulties for Italian moms, particularly single women, who frequently lack enough social and economic assistance. Also this year, the Mothers' Index, created by Istat for Save the Children, confirms the Autonomous Province of Bolzano as the most "mother-friendly" territory, followed by Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. At the bottom are Basilicata, Campania, Puglia, and Calabria. In terms of employment, Italy is ranked 96th out of 146 countries in terms of female participation in the workforce and 95th in terms of the gender pay disparity. An alarming statistic is the "child penalty": if 91.5% of fathers are employed, the percentage of mothers who are employed falls to 62.3%. One in every five women stops working after giving birth, and this figure climbs to 35% when there are disabled children. The primary issue continues to be the inadequate provision of childcare services and the unfair distribution of family responsibilities, which complicate the process of balancing work and personal life for numerous women.